Roll of shipping units for holding packing slip or the like



May 10, 1966 L. M. TlMMs 3,250,385

ROLL OF SHIPPING UNITS FOR HOLDING PACKING SLIP OR THE LIKE Filed Sept. 5, 1965 @lak A TorzNav United States Patent O 3,250,385 ROLL F SHIPPING UNITS FOR HOLDING PACKING SLIlJ 0R THE LIKE Leon M. Timms, 636 Amherst Drive, Burbank, Calif. Filed Sept. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 306,031 4 Claims. (Cl. 21M-56) .This invention relates to an improved type of preassembled packing unit, adapted to be easily applied to a shipping carton or other container, or to an unwrapped article if desired, and to secure a packing slip or other item to the carton or article in a manner such that the slip or the like is readily accessible to a recipient to whom the assembly is shipped, Iand can be easily detached `for review, tiling or use.

In conventional shipping practice, various different methods are utilized for attaching to the item or container being shipped a packing slip, identifying the contents of the shipment. In some instances, this slip is inserted Within the interior of the carton, and is therefore accessible only after opening the carton, and sometimes after a fairly extensive search to determine exactly where the slip may be located. In other instances, the packing slip may be placed in an envelope, and the envelope is then attached in some way to the outside of the item being shipped. In this case, conventional attachment methods require more labor than would be desired, and in addition usually attach the envelope in a manner such that both the envelope and contained packing slip tend rto be torn upon removal from the item after shipment.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a preassembled packing unit which is capable of attaching a packing slip, other pertinent papers, or sm-all parts such as screws, nuts, brackets, etc.,l to the outside of a container or item with considerably greater facility than has been possible with prior expedients, and yet in a manner allowing very easy removal from the container or item at the shipping destination, without damage to the packing slip or the like. For this purpose, I provide an assembly which is completely preformed for easy reception and retention of a packing slip or other item, and which may be applied with facility and as a unit, together with the packing 4slip or the like, to the outside of the item4 being shipped. Preferably, a series of such units are wound together in roll form, to facilitate handling in use, with the various individual packing slip units being removable from the roll separately and successively for application to different packages. The entire roll may be contained within a box or other housing, having a slot through which the units advance outwardly, and are successively removed from the roll.

Structurally, a packing unit embodying the invention includes a carrier sheet formed of ilexible sheet material and having a coating of adhesive applied to an inner surface thereof, so that the sheet may be adhered by said coating to-the carton or other item being shipped, or may be adhered to itself after extending about the item. It is preferred for most uses that this adhesive be of the pressure sensitive waterproof type, adapted to be adhered to a carton lor other container or item being shipped or to itself, by merely pressing the unit thereagainst.

To the inner side of the sheet, there is secured a thin receptacle, which is formed of sheet material and is adapted to receive a packing slip or other item to be carried. This receptacle may take the form of a thin envelope or bag, preferably formed of a waterproof or water resistant material, such as a water resistant paper or a resinous plastic film. The adhesive desirably extends essentially about,

3,25%,385 Patented May 10, 1966 ice and for best results entirely about, this receptacle, to form a circularly continuous water-tight seal thereabout.

The outer surface of the carrier sheet should carry markings indicating to a recipient the fact that the packing slip or other item is beneath the sheet. For example, the carrier sheet may have printed on its outer surface the words Packing Slip Underneath.

To facilitate removal of the unit from a carton or the like, there may Abe a non-adhesive tab on the carrier sheet, by which a person may easily grasp the sheet and commence removal thereof from the item being shipped. This tab may be formed by securing a small piece of material to a localized portion of the adhesive, at the underside of the carrier sheet, to cover that portion of the adhesive.

When the units are provided in roll form, the carrier sheets of a series of different individual packing units may all be formed as parts of a single continuous strip of material, which may be weakened at locations between successive units to enable the different individual units to be torn oil successively.

The above and other features and objects of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the typical embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. l is a side View of a dispenser containing a roll of packing units constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective View of successive units of the FIG. l roll;

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged central longitudinal section through one of the units of FIG. 2, and taken on line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a transverse section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a reduced elevational view taken in the direction indicated by arrows 5 of FIG; 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary representation of a shipping carton having applied thereto a packing unit embodying the invention; and A FIGS. 7 and 8 are views similar to FIG. 5, but showing two variational forms of the invention.

Referring first to FIG. l, I have shown at 10 a dispenser constructed in accordance with the invention, and including a rectangular box 11 containing a roll 12 of packing slip units 13. Units 13 may be wound about and carried by a central tubular cardboard core 14, which in turn may be received about and be rotatable relative to a cylindrical projection or shaft 15 formed of cardboard or the like, and projecting from one of the walls of carton 11. The units 13 form an elongated interconnected series of such units, having a rst end 16 adapted to extend through a slit 17 in one of the walls of carton 11, and be adhesively to an outer surface of the carton in the manner illustrated in FIG. l. The strip of units has its second end adhered directly to the carrier tube 14, and it is wound spirally through many turns about the core 14 in extending from that core to the outer end 16.

The main bodies of units 13 are formed as portions of a single continuous very elongated strip of sheet material 18 which is perforated or otherwise weakened at a series of perforated lines or-areas 19 (FIGS. 1 and 3), to divide strip 18 into a series of individual carrier sheets 20 of the various individual units 13. Perforated lines 19 extend directly transversely of the length of strip 18, that is, perpendicular to the parallel side edges 21 of the strip, so that each carrier sheet 2.0 has the rectangular outline configuration shown in FIG. 5. Strip 18 and its carrier sheet portions 20 may be formed of any appropripresently preferred material for this use.

The outer surface 22 of each sheet Ztl of an individual one of the units 13 may carry markings 23 to be visible to a recipient of a carton to which the unit is attached, to indicate to that recipient the fact that a packing slip is located beneath the sheet 20. As indicated in FIGS. 2 and 6, these markings may be printed words, such as the phrase Packing Slip Underneath.

The opposite or inner surface 24 of strip 18 and its portions is coated, preferably continuously over its entire area, by a layer of adhesive 25, which is capable of adhering to cardboard, wood, or any other material from which an item or carton to be shipped may be formed, and which will also adhere to itself. Secured to the central portion or area of the adhesive coating 25, there is provided at the inner side of each sheet 2t) of the strip 18 an envelope, bag, or pocket 26, adapted to removably receive and hold a packing slip represented at 27 in FIG. 3. Envelope 26 is initially flattened to the very thin full line condition illustrated in FIG. 3, but is openable to a thickened condition, as indicated in broken lines in FIG. 3, to receive the packing slip. In the FIGS. l through 6 form of the invention, pocket 26 is formed of two very similar layers 28 and 29 of resinous plastic lm, preferably thin polyethylene lilm with inner layer 28 being directly and continuously adhered to the adhesive coating across the entire surface of sheet 28. The two sheets 28 and 29 are of rectangular outline configuration similar to that of carrier sheet 20, but are substantially smaller than the carrier sheet to leave an exposed portion of the adhesive 25 extending continuously entirely about sheets 28 and 29, at 30. More specifically, the two sheets 28 and 29 may have parallel longitudinal side edges 31 along which the two sheets are heat sealed together (FIGS. 4 and 5), and the sheets may have transverse end edges 32 at one end, also secured together, either by heat sealing or the like or by forming the two sheets integrally of a single piece of plastic lm folded at edge 32 (see FIG. 3). At the other ends of the sheets, sheet 28 may extend somewhat beyond the end edge 33 of sheet 29, to provide an exposed portion 34 of sheet 28 which presents a non-adhesive outer surface engageable by a packing slip or the ingers of a person upon insertion of a packing slip into the pocket formed between the two sheets, to thereby facilitate such insertion past the outwardly openable upper edge 33 of sheet 29. Thus, the two sheets forrn a pocket or enevelope into which a packing slip may be easily inserted downwardly, as viewed in FIG. 3.

At and adjacent the locations of perforated areas 19 of strip 18, there may be provided transverse strips of material 35 (FIG. 3), which may be formed of the same polyethylene or other resinous plastic lm utilized in making pockets 26, and which strips are perforated along the same perforation lines 19 which divide strip 18- into its individual carrier sheets 20. Sheet 35 is adhered tightly to strip 18 by means of the adhesive layer 25. The outer printed surface 22 of strip 18 is desirably treated to give it the characteristics of a release surface, to which adhesive 25 will adhere sufficiently to retain the assembly in the FIG. 1 roll form, but from which the adhesive is easily unwound without damage to surface 22. For this purpose, surface 22 may be coated with a silicone or other known release agent.

To now describe use of the packing slip units illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, assume that it is desired to apply a packing slip to the outside of a carton such as that illustrated fragmentarily in FIG. 6 at 37. The first step in applying such a packing slip is to pull the outer free end 16 of roll 12 away from the c-ontacted outer surface of dispenser box 11, and withdraw the rolled rnaterial far enough through slit 17 to completely expose one of the packing slip units, that is, far enough to expose the first perforation line 19. The leading unit 13 is then torn off of the rest of the roll along line 19, with both the sheet 18 and the small strip 35 being torn at that line. This leaves a narrow strip or half of the element 35 se- 4 cured to each of the two units 13 which are torn apart at the designated line 19. After the leading unit 13 has thus been torn olf, the next successive unit may be temporarily adhered to the outer surfaceof dispenser box 11 in the condition of FIG. 1, preparatory to the next successive dispensing operation.

The folded packing slip for carton 37 is next slipped into pocket or receptacle`26 of the removed leading unit 13, as illustrated in broken lines in FIG. 3. After such positioning of the packing slip within the pocket, the user merely places the packing slip unit against an outer lsurface of the box, as seen in FIG. 6, with the pocket 26 and adhesive material 25 engaging the box, so that the adhesive adheres to the box about the pocket and contained packing slip. If the adhesive is a waterproof pressure sensitive typerof adhesive, the user applies sufficient finger pressure to assure tight bonding of the adhesive to the box continuously about the packing slip and pocket, to effectively seal the unit in place. As stated previously, it is preferred for most purposes that such a pressure sensitive waterproof adhesive be employed, as for example a latex base pressure sensitive adhesive.

The presence of the narrow strips 35 at opposite ends of the carrier sheet prevents adhesion of the adhesive coating 25 'to the carton at the locations of strips 35, so that there are provided at these ends a pair of nonadhesive tabs by which a recipient of the package 37 may easily commence' removal of unit 13 'from the outside of the package, Ito attain access to the packing slip.

It will of course be apparent that the unit of FIGS. 1 through 6 may be employed for securing screws, nuts, washers, other small parts, or papers other than a packing slip, to a carton or article with the printing von the sheet 18 being changed appropriately to indicate the particular items retained by the unit.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but showing a variational form of packing unit 13a in which the two sheets of pocket 26a are secured together along their two end edges 32a and one side edge 31a, but are separable at their side edges 33a so that a packing slip may be inserted laterally rather than downwardly into the envelope. Also, instead of the transverse strips 35 for providing removal tabs on the successive units 13a, the arrangement of FIG. 7 illustrates a semicircular piece of polyethylene film or other sheet material 35a applied -to and covering the adhesive material at a localized semi-circular area overlapping the carrier sheets of both of the adjacent units 13a. Sheet 35a is perforated along the same line 19a at which the main carrier sheet corresponding to element 18 of FIG. 3 is perforated, so that successive units 13a may be easily torn apart, leaving a portion of the element 35a on the corner of each of the parts, to serve as a non-adhesive removal tab.

FIG. 8 shows another arrangement which is similar to that of FIGS. l through 6, except that a conventional paper bag 26b has been substituted for the pocket 26 of the rst form, the bag desirably being formed of a water resistant paper such as .glassine or water resistant kraft paper. The bag has a tab 34h at its open end, corresponding to portion 34 of FIG. 5, and is seamed in conventional manner .at 46 and 41 to -be closed along its opposite side edges 31b and lower end edge 32b.

I claim:

1. The combination comprising a supply roll of preassembled packing units wound as a series to form a many layered roll from which the individual -units may be successively unwound and removed, said individual units comprising a carrier sheet of flexible material to be secured to an larticle to be shipped and `having inner and outer surfaces, a coating of adhesive on said inner surface of said carrier sheet and adapted to adhere to said article, -a thin receptacle formed Iof sheet material and adapted to receive an item which is to accompany said article and secured to said inner sur-face of said carrier sheet, said carrier sheets of successive units being formed from a continuous strip of sheet material locally weakened at locations between the units for separation of one unit .from the next, and small pieces of sheet material adhesively secured to and covering localized portions of said strip of sheet material at said weakened 1ocations and having outer non-adhesive surfaces and themselves weakened for separation into two parts for forming non-adhesive removal tabs on the carrier sheets of two successive units.

2. The combination comprising an elongated continuous integral strip of sheet material wound in roll form with a large number of turns of the strip wound one upon the other, said strip having a series of weakened tear areas extending thereacross and defining -a series of separation locations spaced along the length of the strip at which predetermined different separable portions of the strip may be successively removed from the remainder of the roll for individual attachment `to different articles to be shipped, said strip being perforated at said tear areas along lines disposed transversely of the length of the strip, a waterproof pressure sensitive adhesive coating a first side of said rolled strip and adapted to adhere to one of said articles Without solvent, a series of thin pockets formed of two layers of sheet `material carried by and wound within said roll, said layers defining therebetween a space enclosed on at least three sides adapted to receive an item which is to be secured to one of said articles during shipment, each of said pockets overlying and being adhered to only a portion of the layer of waterproof pressure sensitive adhesive on the corresponding one of said portions of the rolled strip, said waterproof pressure sensitive adhesive on each of said portions of the rolled strip extending laterally beyond the corresponding pocket and continuously and without interruption entirely about its periphery 4at a location to contact and peripherally adhere to one of said articles after removal of said portion of the strip from the roll, and thereby form a Waterproof protective layer of the adhesive at an outer side of the pocket and extending about the periphery of the pocket and protecting the pocket and its contents against contact with water, said waterproof pressure sensitive adhesive which is about the periphery of said pockets being in contact with and adhering to a second side of said strip of sheet material and thereby securing the strip in roll form, said second side of the strip being a lrelease surface to which said adhesive will adhere but Ifrom which the adhesive is easily separable without damage to the surface in unrolling said strip and removing said successive portions and carried pockets therefrom.

3. The combination as recited in claim 2, in which said first side of each of said portions of said strip has an area at its edge which is non-adhesive to form a removal tab for stripping said portion from an article.

4. The combination as recited in claim 2, including markings printed on said second side of said strip for designating the presence of said pocket and its contents when one of said portions of the strip is secured to an article.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,094,542 4/ 1914 Dodge 206-52 1,322,180 1l/1919 Crowell 206-52 2,137,913 11/1938 Kind c 229-52 2,170,147 8/1939 Lanev 206--56 2,646,877 7/1953 Scholl 206-52 2,836,290 5/1958- Braun 206-56 2,984,342 5/1961 Smith 506-56 X 3,032,181 5/ 1962 Hutter et al. 206-59 3,148,820 9/1964 Robbins et al 229-37 3,155,234 11/1964 Knoll et al 206-147 3,159,930 12/1964 Allen et al 229-37 X 3,160,273 12/1964 Re-uther et al. 206-56 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

M. L. RICE, Assistant Examiner. 

2. THE COMBINATION COMPRISING AN ELONGATED CONTINUOUS INTEGRAL STRIP OF SHEET MATERIAL WOUND IN ROLL FORM WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF TURNS OF THE STRIP WOUND ONE UPON THE OTHER, SAID STRIP HAVING A SERIES OF WEAKENED TEAR AREAS EXTENDING THEREACROSS AND DEFINING A SERIES OF SEPARATION LOCATIONS SPACED ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE STRIP AT WHICH PREDETERMINED DIFFERENT SEPARABLE PORTIONS OF THE STRIP MAY BE SUCCESSIVELY REMOVED FROM THE REMAINDER OF THE ROLL FOR INDIVIDUAL ATTACHMENT TO DIFFERENT ARTICLES TO BE SHIPPED, SAID STRIP BEING PERFORATED AT SAID TEAR AREAS ALONG LINES DISPOSED TRANSVERSELY OF THE LENGTH OF THE STRIP, A WATERPROOF PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE COATING A FIRST SIDE OF SAID ROLLED STRIP AND ADPATED TO ADHERE TO ONE OF SAID ARTICLES WITHOUT SOLVENT, A SERIES OF THIN POCKETS FORMED OF TWO LAYERS OF SHEET MATERIAL CARRIED BY AND WOUND WITHIN SAID ROLL, SAID LAYERS DEFINING THEREBETWEEN A SPACE ENCLOSED ON AT LEAST THREE SIDES ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN ITEM WHICH IS TO BE SECURED TO ONE OF SAID ARTICLES DURING SHIPMENT, EACH OF SAID POCKETS OVERLYING AND BEING ADHERED TO ONLY A PORTION OF THE LAYER OF WATERPROOF PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE ON THE CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID PORTIONS OF THE ROLLED STRIP, SAID WATERPROOF PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE ON EACH OF SAID PORTIONS OF THE ROLLED STRIP EXTENDING LATERALLY BEYOND THE CORRESPONDING POCKET AND CONTINUOUSLY AND WITHOUT ITERRRUPTION ENTIRELY ABOUT ITS PERIPHERY AT A LOCATION TO CONTACT AND PERIPHERALLY ADHERE TO ONE OF SAID ARTICLES AFTER REMOVAL OF SAID PORTION OF THE STRIP FROM THE ROLL, AND THEREBY FORM A WATERPROOF PROTECTIVE LAYER OF THE ADHESIVE AT AN OUTER SIDE OF THE POCKET AND EXTENDING ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF THE POCKET AND PROTECTING THE POCKET AND ITS CONTENTS AGAINST CONTACT WITH WATER, SAID WATERPROOF PRESSURE SENSITIVE ADHESIVE WHICH IS ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID POCKETS BEING IN CONTACT WITH AND ADHERING TO A SECOND SIDE OF SAID STIRP OF SHEET MATERIAL AND THEREBY SECURING THE STRIP IN ROLL FORM, SAID SECOND SIDE OF THE STRIP BEING A RELEASE SURFACE TO WHICH SAID ADHESIVE WILL ADHERE BUT FROM WHICH THE ADHESIVE IS EASILY SEPARABLE WITHOUT DAMAGE TO THE SURFACE IN UNROLLING SAID STRIP AND REMOVING SAID SUCCESSIVE PORTIONS AND CARRIED POCKETS THEREFROM. 